1985 MCFLY HOUSE & LYON ESTATES LOCATION

McFly House Filming Location from “Back to the Future”

Located in Arleta/Pacoima, California

Editor’s Note: this text is from the old version of BTTF tour – we’re going to be revising these articles in the coming days. The photos and screenshots from these articles will all be down below for the time being, instead of thumbnails within the text. Thanks for your patience, and visit us again when everything’s tidied up!

THIS LOCATION IS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE, PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB OCCUPANTS!

The Mecca of Back to the Futuredom! For millions of kids from the Eighties and early 90’s, this is the house we wished we lived in! Originally scouted by Paul Pav, this location was chosen for Marty’s house in the movie because of the electrical towers in the background. Writer/producer Bob Gale felt that it would be a great way to foreshadow Marty’s future predicament and be a lasting symbol of the 1.21 Jigawatts needed to get back home to 1985.

For being possibly one of the most aticipated locations, it’s actually the most straightforward. This is a regular, lower-middle class neighborhood, and Marty’s house is just like any other on any other street. As a matter of fact, a lot of people have reported back that as iconic as the house is, they’ve driven right past it by mistake! This is one you must visit and take in for yourself – Just make sure not to bother any of the locals.

WARNING: The people who live in this house really, really hate visitors! They’re well used to it’s photo being taken, but will instantly close the door if they see the cameras pop out of car windows. Just remember that this is someone’s real-life home and to be respectful. The resident’s don’t usually mind if you take some photos, or take your picture on the sidewalk, but as they have specifically warned us and many other BTTF pilgrims, DO NOT walk up the driveway and above all DO NOT BOTHER THE RESIDENTS!

Although the owners seem to dislike the BTTF fans continual lurking presence, they thankfully have not changed the exterior at all, (unlike many famous film houses, such as the Brady Bunch House – Except for the addition of a new screen door, but who can blame them!) which perhaps shows that they do in fact realize that their house is, albiet for odd reasons, important to other people. The house looks almost as picture perfect as it did in the film, if not much better (it just needs the ugly old trash cans on the driveway!) and for that we here at BTTFtour.com give these people a big thumbs up.

So when dropping by please make sure to be especially respectful, because constant attention to a filming location nearly always results in it’s undergoing changes. In fact, since we first put this site up, they have already changed the exterior paint from the familiar brick red to a lighter, more brownish tone. We don’t want them to build a big nasty fence next, or plant privacy hedges, and I’m sure they don’t want to have to. So, please keep at arms length, don’t drive up their driveway. Basically please don’t be an idiot.

That said, go enjoy this location! – Oh, you’ll notice we’re the only ones who list the city as being “Pacoima” – that’s because for whatever reason, this part of Arleta, CA has been swallowed up by Pacoima, and you will no longer be able to get directions to the address with Arleta, CA as the city. BUT – this WAS part of Arleta during filming.

GPS COORDINATES: 34.238969, -118.433438

The correct location of the Lyon Estates signs, looking south on Sandusky from Kagel Canyon, a few blocks down. I’m tired of everyone shooting it wrong, and so I thought it was worth mentioning. This is where the Lyon Estates signs were set. Not at either end of Roslyndale. Mystery solved, courtesy BTTFtour.com. Notice the blue car in the lower right of this photo? It isn’t the same small blue car in the screenshot above, but it’s the same owner! I asked. (Photo Feb 2007)

The Lyon Estates 1985 entrance will have it’s own page soon. Please send us your photos of this site!